PFC Howard Samuel Mitchell

courtesy of Larry Eanes

PFC Howard Samuel Mitchell was born 16 Apr 1919 in Danville, Virginia. He was the 6th of 8 children born to Samuel Henry and Nettie Ann (Barber) Mitchell. His father farmed and his parents would separate before 1930. His father re-married and had 4 more children. Somehow, Howard was never recorded on a census even though all his older and younger siblings were. It is possible he was sent to live with relatives. Howard never had more than a grammar school education and, in registering for the draft, was apparently self-employed.

Howard was drafted in April 1941. Because of the way draftees were handled early in the war it is likely that he was assigned to K Company 116th Infantry while it was still at Fort Meade, Maryland. He would then have trained with the unit at Camp Blanding, Florida and sailed with the unit to England in September 1942. In England the unit trained for the amphibious landing that was a planned part of the invasion of northern occupied France. That attack took place on 6 Jun 1944 and Howard fought with the unit until killed in action on 3 Aug 1944 (the morning report has an entry correcting the date of death to 31 Jul 1944 but 3 Aug 1944 appears on all subsequent government paperwork).

PFC Mitchell was repatriated and is then buried in Highland Memorial Park in Danville, Virginia.